UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham officially opened a regional government office called No 10 North in Manchester on July 24, 2026, aiming to shift economic decision-making away from London to local regions across the UK [1, 2, 3, 4]. Located in Heron House in central Manchester, the office shares a building with GCHQ in northwest England [1].

Burnham said the office is about "taking power down and placing it in the hands of people who can use it best," adding that "No 10 North will bring the whole of Whitehall together behind places rather than standing in their way" [1]. He pledged to work from No 10 North at least one day a week and will chair the first meeting of the national economic council there [1, 2, 3, 4].

The office intends to accelerate devolution, reindustrialisation, infrastructure improvements, and regeneration to support economic growth across English regions as well as Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland [1, 4]. Burnham emphasized that "opportunity has not been evenly spread around the country and not all places have felt that they’re part of the national story," and said the goal is "putting power in every postcode so communities can turn things around for themselves" [4].

Government departments, including the finance ministry, have been ordered to transfer some strategic functions to No 10 North to enable targeted decision-making closer to local areas [2, 3]. Burnham’s leadership marks a shift in style and priorities toward devolving power, focusing on regional economic empowerment as part of a broader agenda [5]. At 56, he is among the UK’s older first-time prime ministers [5].

Critics, however, caution that No 10 North represents "de-concentration" rather than genuine devolution. Academic Alan Trench described this as the transfer of public sector jobs without law-making powers, which remains highly centralised in the UK compared to other European countries [2, 3]. England lacks devolved law-making powers unlike Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland [2, 3]. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch criticized Burnham for focusing too much on Manchester, saying, "The prime minister needs to focus on broader national challenges rather than governing like he’s still the mayor of Manchester" [1].

No 10 North held its inaugural meeting of the national economic council on the day it opened. Early cost of living support measures were also announced by Burnham in his first week as premier alongside his devolution agenda [1, 5, 4].